Dana Bash Wonders If Debate Is About Who Will Finish ‘Number Two’
CNN’s Dana Bash found herself wondering if the only stakes for the GOP primary debate on Wednesday evening would be to determine who could finish in second place behind former president Donald Trump.
Above the chyron “Trump’s Absence Soaks Up GOP Debate Spotlight” on Wednesday afternoon, Bash and David Chalian discussed Trump’s impact in absentia on the forum.
Chalian began the discussion by noting that one of his biggest questions over the course of the evening would be “How much is Trump going to be a factor?”
“We’ve heard from the Fox hosts in some pre-debate interviews and previews they’ve given. They plan to bring Donald Trump up. They plan to make him a character on that debate stage even in absentia,” he continued.
Bash followed up with a question of her own that was seemingly skeptical of the entire event.
“Is there any other way to look at this other than these individuals will be debating for a chance to be in consideration as number two?” she asked.
Chalian seemed slightly surprised by the mocking tone of the question
“Yeah, I would look at it not just as a consideration for number two, but we know in all the early state polling — in Iowa, New Hampshire — there is still roughly half or slightly larger than half of the Republican primary electorate, or caucus-going electorate in Iowa, that is open to an alternative,” he began. “So I think tonight is the big opportunity for these candidates not named Donald Trump to begin the work of being the one to start consolidating that side of the Republican Party.”
“I think they gotta start consolidating that non-Trump side of the party and being the single person to emerge as the leader of that group,” he added.
Bash’s steering of the conversation seemed to adopt the assumptions of a statement released by Trump campaign senior advisor Chris LaCivita.
“Tonight’s Republican undercard event really shouldn’t even be called a debate, but rather an audition to be a part of President Trump’s team in his second term,” argued LaCivita.
Watch above via CNN.
